The Scourge of Mossflower
by Sabrepaw AKA CrazyPirateMouse
Summary: Formally Story of the PrinceA story about the rebellion against Verdauga and when Gonff was growing up. This takes place a little before 'Mossflower' does. EDIT! I have put in the editted version. If you liked it before, you'll like it better now.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Mwhahaha!!! I editted_ _it!!! Yay me! But in the process I accidently got rid of all the author's notes I had before. OH Well! Well anyways, if you read it before, you might what to check it out now, because it is MUCH better than the original. Oh yeah, I changed the title too. Well, I hope you like it._

A young mouse looked at the old book on the table.

"Go ahead and read it. It's about time you found out," said a comforting, yet stong voice behind him.

He reached for the book, but his paw fell short.

"I – I can't, Bella".

"It's not just you who wants to find out. We all do", said the strong voice of a warrior behind him.

"Whatever's in there, we're here for you", said another sweet voice off to his side.

The mouse looked at all his companions, smiled, and opened the book…

-----------------

Ragian looked out the window and glared at the fortress towering over his simple house. Kotir, the fortress of Lord Verdauga. Worry was on the mouse's mind. Worry and anger. He worried about what would become of the woodlanders if the wildcat won and it angered him that the fluffy cat had just barged right in and took over.

But there was another thing on Ragian's mind. His wife, Banrai, was having their first child. It scared Ragian. What if the child grew up lame? Or what if it didn't like him? Or worse, what if Banrai died from the labor?

The male mouse paced back and forth. Anyone could see he was scared. Suddenly there was a cry of a babe. Ragian quickly ran to the door and knocked quietly. A badger opened the door. One look at those pleading eyes of the mouse and the badger had to let him in. "Alright, Ragian. It's okay now. Banrai is fine."

A huge grin spread across Ragian's face. "Thanks, Bella," he said and ran inside.

Bella shook her head. "That mouse." Looking back inside the room, the badger saw Banrai, the pretty mousewife, holding a small bundle in her arms with Ragian eagerly looking at the small face smiling at its new parents. Bella smiled as she remembered when she had had her son Sunflash. He was getting so big. "I'm going home to Barkstripe and Sunflash," the badger called. Banrai just nodded and smiled. Ragian showed his lopsided grin.

Bella crouched down so she could get through the doorway and out into the woods. The woods were nice and quiet and if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't think that an evil warlord was ruling this Mossflower. Nearing her home, Brockhall, Bella was greeted by a small badger with an unusual yellow stripe running down his muzzle.

"Mama! Mama! Me an' Daddy cooked supper!" cried Sunflash with excitement. The young badger babe was only two or three seasons old. Bella looked softly at her son and then at the badger walking outside to meet her.

"He's right you know," said the male badger. "And this time it actually tastes good. Come on Bella, let's go in and try some."

Bella grinned and put on a mock-horrified face. "Oh no! Not again! You didn't cook again did you? Please tell me no!"

Sunflash started wagging a paw at his mother as if he were the parent and she the babe. "Now, now, Mommy. You gotta eat it all bye bye and clean your plate or no dessert for you." Bella lifted up her Sunflash and tickled him. Barkstripe, the male badger, put an arm around his wife's shoulders. Together the happy family walked inside Brockhall to have supper.

Banrai smiled proudly at her new baby. Looking up at her husband, she could tell he was in shock. "What should we call him?" she asked softly. "It's a boy."

Ragian gave it deep thought. His wife was from he North, where mice were warriors and had strange ways of living. When she was a young mousemaid, she had traveled south. Her weapon, though she refused to use it, was a long dirk. Banrai was cunning and quick thinking, not to mention beautiful.

Ragian, though was from the south from an abbey called Loamhedge. He had grown up there as a child, but he didn't want the life of an abbey brother, like his parents had wanted. He wanted to travel and have adventures. His Aunt Germaine, his mother's sister, had recently become the Abbess and she understood his need to go, for when she was younger, she had traveled far and wide, but only returned home to the abbey. So she had allowed him to go.

Ragian had traveled north until he reached a forest where he had met Banrai. He had been walking with his hood up when a mousemaid had ambushed him. She had mistaken him for one of Verdauga's soldiers. As soon as Banrai (for it had indeed been her) and Ragian met, they knew it was true love. The young mousemaid had introduced Ragian to Bella and her family, and soon after got married.

"What about Gonff?" he said finally. Banrai nodded approvingly and Ragian looked at his son. "Our son Gonff."

* * *

Verdauga growled disapprovingly. Things were not going well. The woodlanders ignored him and his power. His plan to take over Mossflower was not working. As the wildcat warlord sat at his desk, an idea suddenly popped in his head. What if he taxed the woodlanders with food and-?

The crying of a babe and the laughing of a young child interrupted his thoughts. Verdauga growled again. Storming out of the room and into a nursery room, he found his young daughter, about five seasons old, teasing her young two-season-old brother. "Tsarmina!" he said at almost a roar. "How many times have I told you not to tease your brother!" It was more of a statement than a question.

Tsarmina bowed her head and pretended to be a sad little angel, a part she did not apply to. "But, Daddy, I was only trying to have some fun with Gingevere. He's just a sissy." The young wildcat suddenly thought of her mother and how she would have reacted fairly.

Verdauga sighed and picked his children up in his strong arms. "Tsarmina, Gingevere, I know I can't be your mother and I am trying to get over her also, but I also have to rule this place with an iron paw. So, please, try not to fight." Setting Gingevere and Tsarmina down, Verdauga walked down the hall. It had been a season since his wife had died and life had been hard on him. But that did not change the evil in his heart. He was obsessed to rule Mossflower and nothing would stop him. The tough wildcat thought of his wife again and had he been anyone else, he would have cried.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few days after Gonff's birth, and all the woodlanders had been there to celebrate -- Bella and her family, Skipper, the otter leader, and Lady Amber, the squirrel queen, (both very young for leaders) and the newly wed couple, Ben and Goody Stickle.

Then one night, there was a bang at the door. Ragian had been sitting on a chair carving a flute and Banrai had been feeding her babe. The couple looked up in shock. Ragian muttered darkly under his breath and got up to answer the door. Immediately a patrol of vermin wearing Kotir armor barged in. The leader, a fearsome looking ferret, snarled an order to his men. Ragian, being the quickly angered mouse he was, walked right up to the ferret and almost shouted in his face. "What in the name of Loamhedge is going on?"

Ferret snarled at the mouse, but answered him nonetheless. "We have orders from Lord Verdauga, Lord of the Thousand Eye, Ruler of Kotir, Mast-"

"I know all his stupid titles, ferret! Just get on with the orders!" snapped an impatient mouse.

"Um… well… We have been ordered to tax the woodlanders of their food. Half of your harvest will be given to the Kotir army."

Though she had just given birth a few days ago, the warrior in Banrai rose in her. "And what if we refuse? After all, that cat isn't even the real ruler of Kotir!" The mousewife held her babe closer to her chest as the ferret leaned forward to growl at her.

"Then you will be kicked out of your home. So either way we're gonna get that food. I suggest the easy way." The ferret's awful breath rank in Banrai's nose, but she still stood there glaring at him.

After considering her oppositions, Banrai spit into the ferret's face and yelled, "No! You will not take away our food! I'll stop you!"

The ferret made as if to slap Banrai, but Ragian stomped on the vermin's foot and whisked his wife and son away. Ragian quickly led his small family to one of the hideouts he had made incase of something like this happened. Vermin rushed past them with a limping ferret yelling out orders, "Find the mice! Kill 'em if you have to! Their gonna pay the price!"

Banrai leaned against her husband's shoulder and sobbed quietly. "Stay here and keep low," Ragian said quietly. "If I'm not back in ten minutes, head to Brockhall." And with that, the mouse sneaked back into the house.

It had been about ten minutes and Banrai was fixing to leave when a familiar head poked in. It was Ragian. Ragian quickly grabbed his wife's arm and they slipped quietly into the forest. "I got a bit of bread and cheese, your dirk, my bow, and my carving tools." Banrai noticed the flute Ragian had been working on earlier poking out of a small bag on his back.

It was cold and Banrai could feel her toes getting stiffer by the second. The pretty mouse wrapped Gonff up tighter in his thin blanket. "Where are we going?" she whispered.

"Brockhall," Ragian grunted quietly.

* * *

Bella was sitting with her family when a knock on the door went on. Bella sighed and got up, but Barkstripe stopped her. What if it's one of Verdauga's patrols? We don't want them to know we're here." So Bella sat down again.

The knocking didn't stop though. Soon it became a bit of a band, then whoever it was outside started banging frantically. "Bella! They're after us!" the beast on the other side of the door yelled.

The badger quickly got up and opened the door. Ragian tumbled in with Banrai right behind him, holding the little bundle in her hands tightly against her chest. Bella gasped at the weary couple. "What happened? Who's after you?" she asked urgently.

Between gasps, Ragian spilled out the whole story of their ordeal and narrow escape.

As soon as he finished the whole gruesome tale, Bella immediately picked up an exhausted Banrai into her arms and carried her into a room with a bed. Barkstripe put his arm around Ragian's shoulders and led him to a chair.

"Where's Sunflash?" the mouse asked quietly.

"He went to bed already," answered Barkstripe. "And you should, too." So the badger took the mouse to a room and left him there. Bella and Barkstripe came back into the den and sat on two cushioned seats.

"So, Verdauga has finally taken a stand. Taxing beasts with food. The low down dirty rat." Bella hated the idea of Verdauga taking over Mossflower and would often remark how much different it would be if her father, Boar the Fighter, were ruling.

Barkstripe put a comforting paw on Bella's arm. "Bella, dear, what worse can he do? He won't bother us more than that."

But Barkstripe didn't know that Verdauga, at that very moment, was planning to make the woodlander's lives' miserable.


	3. Chapter 3

The fortress of Kotir was quiet. It was early morning and everyone was asleep. Well, almost everyone.

"Daddy, Daddy!!!" A terrible scream rang through the fortress, waking everyone from the lowest servant to the wildcat lord himself.

Verdauga sat up groggily and mumbled something about tearing his children's tongues out. Suddenly, just as Verdauga had expected, Gingevere came running in wailing. Tsarmina was right on his heels with a small broom in her paws. "Tsarmina," Verdauga said annoyed, "what have I told you be-"

Tsarmina interrupted him. "Not to hide my vegetables, don't pull on the guard's tails, stop hiding under my bed when it's time to clean up, let stupid Ashleg teach me his stupid lessons, never-" Verdauga was getting impatient.

"Anything _important_?" he asked, his voice getting edgy.

Tsarmina pretended to be in deep thought for a moment. She already knew what he wanted to hear, but she had learned that elders liked to see young ones think. "Don't tease Gingevere," she finally said.

"That's right." Verdauga let out a sigh. "And _why_?" he asked, picking Gingevere up in his strong arms.

Tsarmina sighed and rolled her eyes, receiving a glare from her father. The young cat made her voice high and almost innocent. "Because Gingevere's a little baby and you have your fantastic work to do on taking over the woodlanders." Tsarmina fluttered her eyelashes a bit.

Verdauga sighed yet again and nodded. His daughter was such a pain sometimes. He could already tell that she would be evil when she grew up, while his son, Gingevere, would grow up quiet and nice. The warlord didn't really like the thought of it at all. With Gingevere being nice, the woodlands would be at peace and would eventually break away from his rule. But on the other hand, with Tsarmina being evil…. Verdauga automatically thought of his older brother, Ungatt Tun, and how unfair he had been to Verdauga. The wild cat let out a bit of a growl at the thought of his brother, the perfect son, the spitting image of his father. Verdauga smirked as he thought of how evil his father had been. Look what had happened to him. Luckily, Verdauga and Ungatt had left before their father's downfall.

Verdauga had heard of what had happened to his brother. Ungatt had tried to take a mountain fortress, but some badger with a hare had shown up, and along with them, an entire army. Eventually, Ungatt had been defeated, but that was all he knew. Verdauga didn't care much for details when it came to his family. The only family member he had cared for so dearly was…. his wife.

Gingevere wailed again, bringing Verdauga back to the real life. The tough wildcat felt a bit of sadness for his young son. He would never have a mother to look after him like Tsarmina did. Quickly, a stoat nurse came in and took Gingevere from the warlord's arms and pulled Tsarmina along behind her.

Verdauga went back to his bed to rest but there were footsteps. The wildcat groaned as he realized who's they were. "Please pass by, please pass by," he whispered quietly. _STEP. CLOP. STEP. CLOP._

The footsteps got louder, but eventually stopped at Verdauga's door. A pine martin popped his head through the crack of the doorframe. 'Your Majesty," said the pine martin, "I have news from Nosewart."

"Yes, Ashleg. What is it?" Verdauga said, trying not to sound too tired.

Ashleg continued. "They went to collect taxes from the beasts, just as you ordered, and it went smoothly, until they came to a mouse family. Apparently they weren't too keen on your orders, sire. The mousewife attacked Nosewart, but before he could lay a paw on her, the male mouse attacked him and ran with the mousewife and the little babe in her arms." Ashleg almost giggled, but a sharp look from the wildcat and he was silenced.

Verdauga knew a warrior when he saw it. From what he heard, this family, even though they were mice, was willing to fight for their home. "Well, what happened? Did Nosewart catch them?" Ashleg shifted nervously from one leg to his wooden ash one, Verdauga knew the answer.

"N-no, my lord. Apparently they ran and hid. Nosewart thinks that they ran straight out of Mossflower. But if you ask me, I think-" Ashleg paused as if making sure no one would hear except for his wildcat lord, "-that they are hiding with that badger. You remember the female with the son with the strange yellow stripe? Well, no one has located their home. I'm sure the woodlanders know where it is though. So may-"

"I don't care about what you think I should do right now. _I _am Lord of the Thousand Eyes. Not some sniveling little coward like you. Now get out of my sight and let me rest before I turn you into food for that eagle, Argulor. I hear he's come back again." Verdauga grinned evilly as he saw Ashleg scurry away in terror. The wildcat tyrant had to admit though; Ashleg was a lot smarter than he looked. The only reason Verdauga could not stand his presence was because of the pine martin's big blabbering mouth and the need to gossip about everything. But he was useful from time to time.

As Verdauga lay in his bed, he couldn't help but plot his next move. Slavery. Enslaving the young if the woodlanders did not pay up. The wildcat also knew that he needed to find the home to that blasted badger. Many vermin might not see a threat in a female badger, but he knew that females could be almost as equally tough as males. If he wanted his plans to move on smoothly, then he had to get rid of the badger.

* * *

Tsarmina sneered at her brother. She hated when she got in trouble for teasing him. He deserved it! After all, he was just a soft little coward who would never do anything good, and Tsarmina made sure that little Gingevere heard this often.

"How do you expect to be Lord of the Thousand Eyes if you're a little chicken?" the young wildcat said tauntingly.

Gingevere just sat calmly in his little crib and looked his sister right in the eye. "Maybe I don' wanna be a Word," he replied in his little dibbun talk. "I don' wanna wule."

Tsarmina stuck her toungue out at the dibbun. "Well Papa's not gonna like that. He wants _you_ to rule because you're his favorite child. If Mama were here, she would make me Queen of the Thousand Eyes. You're too soft to even call yourself a wildcat."

Gingevere wanted to wail out to his father, but he knew that Verdauga would not be in a happy mood after being woken up earlier. So instead, Gingevere lay down and closed his eyes wishing his sister could be nicer to everybeast. As the young wildcat started falling asleep, there was a flash of light, and then Gingevere saw a young, battered and bloody mouse holding a magnificent sword.

The mouse was looking ahead of him to a great lake. There, a wildcat was drowning, her arms trying to get her to float, her eyes wide with fear. Gingevere thought the wildcat looked familiar, but he didn't know why.

Suddenly, a new light flashed in his eyes, and Gingevere was right where had left. The wildcat just shrugged off the strange thing that had just happen and settled for bed. What the little wildcat didn't know was that he had just seen a vision, a vision of the future soon to come.

* * *

Sunflash was outside playing early in the morning, as he did everyday. These were hard times, and the little badger cub knew that he needed to toughen up a bit, but no one could take away the childish spirit in him.

Suddenly, there was a snap of a twig. Sunflash froze. His mother had told him that bad beasts were searching the woods. He also remembered how stern she had gotten when she said come home straight away if he saw them.

Sunflash felt that time held still as the beast trudged forward on heavy paws, breathing heavily. Then something grabbed the little badger. Sunflash wanted to yell out to his mother to come and rescue him, but the strong beast that held him held a tight paw around his mouth. Instinctively, Sunflash began to bite at the hand.

"Ow! Skipper! The little vermin's bit me paw!" a deep voice called.

Then in the dim light, the outline of a young otter took form. The otter started laughing his deep, merry laugh. "That's because this ain't no vermin, Tackin, this is me matey Sunflash."

The creature automatically let Sunflash go. The little badger ran to the otter. "Skipper! Deh big beast tried to hurt me!"

Skipper picked up Sunflash and gave him a rough hug. "Sunflash, mate, this is me friend Tackin. He and I are here with the rest of me crew to come to that meeting yer mum called." The big beast just so happened to be an otter. Sunflash relaxed.

Suddenly a voice, coming from the trees, called out strongly. "Well if it isn't the young otter Skipper, scaring the life out of a babe."

Skipper growled and retorted back, "Well, Miss Amber, at least I didn't stay up there watchin' everythin' goin' on."

Amber, a young squirrel almost the same age as Skipper, and also the daughter of the leader of the squirrels, leapt out of the treetops, landing lightly on her footpaws. The squirrel and the otter glared at each other. They were the same age, both strong leaders, both loved to fight, and both hated each other. Amber's mother, Lady Aralna, had constantly disciplined them both for their behavior to each other, but her chastisements had little lasting effect on either of them.

Sunflash, too young to understand how two woodlanders could dislike each other so, grabbed each one's paw in one of his, so they had to almost hold hands, and walked off to Brockhall with Tackin trying to stifle his giggles.


	4. Chapter 4

Bella sat in her den waiting on everybeast to show up. The Stickles had been there for an hour or so and Sunflash had just recently led Amber and Skip in, followed by Tackin and Skip's crew. Ragian sat on a wooden stool with a grim expression on his face. You couldn't blame him. He had just lost his home.

Bella watched him as he whittled away at what seemed to be a flute. He had been working on it for hours it seemed. Banrai was still resting in one of the spare rooms after her shock with the vermin. Bella, knowing the young mother's warrior spirit, had thought it wise for her not to attend the meeting. She had recently given birth, had just lost her home, and had been too worried to sleep at night, and a meeting over war would only do harm to her if it roused the warrior that still lingered within.

The ground shaking beneath disturbed her thoughts, and then a small moist nose, followed by a velvet head, poked out of a newly made tunnel. "Foremole!" she said excitedly. "So we're all here!" Addressing the rest of the beasts in her den, Bella of Brockhall said, "My fellow creatures of Mossflower, we are here for a reason. I have called this meeting to act against Verdauga the Tyrant." A stream of boos went out at the wildcat's name. The badger had to bang on the table to get everyone quiet again. "The wildcat has begun taxing for his army. Ragian was recently kicked out of his home." The mouse looked up from where he was sitting at the mention of his name. "And if you're not careful, you will be too. It is time for us to take a stand. We will not tolerate such treatment! It is time to begin a revolution!" A roar of cheers went out. Almost everyone agreed.

Barkstripe noticed that Ragian had kept silent all this time. "Why don't you cheer Ragian?" he asked him. At least a dozen pair of eyes fell on the young mouse.

"Because," he said clearly, "I have a family to look out for. If I risk my life and die, what will happen to my wife and son? No. I do not think we should attack immediately, but we should wait a bit. You all know that my Banrai came from the North where warriors are born. Well, while we wait she can get her health back and we can plan our attacks and ranks and so on. That is why I do not cheer."

Bella nodded to show she approved. "Well? Do we like this idea better?" No one disagreed.

* * *

Sunflash stood on tiptoes to get a better look at Banrai's babe. He had not been allowed to see him until recently. "What's his name?" the curious dibbun asked. 

"His name's Gonff," Banrai said, looking lovingly at the little mouse in her arms. Gonff giggled and looked at Sunflash with curious, smiling eyes.

As a result, Sunflash broke into a huge grin. Having never seen anyone younger than him before, this was a new experience to the young badger. He reached a paw out tentatively to tickle Gonff, like he had seen both his mother and Banrai do, but the baby mouse was a step ahead of him. He clasped his small paws tightly around Sunflash's finger and refused to let go, howling laughing as he did.

Sunflash thought it was funny at first, but when the babe would not let go, he panicked. He tried to pull away, but still, Gonff would not let go. Sunflash was beginning to think that he would never get his finger back and started crying.

Banrai stifled a giggle and tickled Gonff's tiny paws so he would let go, then she gave the sniffling badger dibbun a hug. "It's ok Sunflash. It's ok. He was just playing with you. It's alright." Sunflash began to calm down. "He is going to be very clever when he grows up. Don't you think Sunflash?"

Sunflash scratched his yellow stripe. "I dunno. I never seen a baby afore." The young badger saw that Banrai thought so, so he decided he wanted to agree. "Yes. He's a gonna be smart. Just like me!" Banrai laughed her tinkling little laugh. Sunflash carried on. "Momma, says that I'm gonna be a Badger Lord someday, like my Grandpa. She says that you need to be smart though. So I'm learning everything." The young badger puffed out his chest in a proud way.

"Oh, you'll make a great Badger Lord someday. Shall I get your cloak, my lord?" Banrai said, showing a mock bow. Sunflash nodded his approval, the important pride look still on his face. Banrai got up and put Gonff in the young badger's arms. "You'll have to hold my babe though, of course, a big strong badger like you can do that." Sunflash grinned and held the baby mouse so he would not fall while the mousewife got out a red blanket and tied it around the young badger's neck. "Here," Banrai said, taking Gonff, "I'll put him on the bed while I make you a _real_ Badger Lord."

Sunflash stood majestically as she found a stick for a sword, a bucket for a shield, and a pot for a helmet. 'Lord' Sunflash stood there posing in front of Banrai. "How do I look?" he asked eagerly.

"Like a true Lord." The warrior mouse took a deep bow in mock respect for Bella's son. "Would you like to show your mother?" Sunflash nodded at least five times. Banrai picked up Gonff and set him on her hip while holding out her free arm to escort Sunflash into the den.

* * *

Ragian was tired. He hated listening to the same discussions over and over, but he was not allowed to leave. Everyone else was also annoyed while Skipper and Amber, once again, were arguing over which plan was better. "I'm tellin' ye that to go through the river and sneaking into the castle on that side is better!" Skip yelled.

"And I'm saying that it would be easier if we went through the trees and into the courtyard!" Amber yelled back.

Just then, Banrai and Sunflash, clothed in his Badger Lord outfit, walked in the room. "I present to you," Banrai said in a loud voice, "Lord Sunflash of Brockhall!"

The young otter and squirrel postponed their argument to look at the proud dibbun. Bella stifled a giggle and bowed before her son. "All hail Lord Sunflash!" she proclaimed. Every beast in the room bowed before the pretend Lord of Brockhall and all arguments were forgotten.


	5. Chapter 5

Tsarmina sat sulking in a corner. She hated her father. She hated Gingevere. She hated Ashleg. She hated the whole stupid castle. Her classes that she _had_ to attend to were so boring. And her nurse was slow and lazy.

She couldn't wait until she was queen. Then there'd be some changes. She could have cookies and scones whenever she wanted, and whomever she chose to play tea party with would feed the sweets to her while she rested and had her claws done. And Gingevere would be forced to live in the dungeon whenever he was bad or soft. And she would put him in a bad cell. She didn't know what the dungeons looked like. Her father had never shown her out of fear that she'd get some idea for them. Like hang pink ribbon on the bars, she suspected.

One little thing that many beasts thought was weird about Tsarmina was that in spite of the fact that she was _totally_ evil, she loved pink. Oh! That gave her another idea. She'd make every room pink. With pink bed sheets and pink curtains. And everyone had to wear some form of pink when they addressed her. She grinned evilly as she pictured Ashleg having to have a pink wooden leg instead of that ugly ash one. She giggled when she thought that they would have to call him Pinkleg from then on. Oh yes. Things were gonna change when she became queen.

"Princess Tsarmina."

Tsarmina whipped her head around and glared at the fox nurse poking her head through the door. "Um… your father is ready for dinner. D-do you need help getting dressed?" The young wildcat glared at the fox again, but nodded.

---------------------------

Verdauga growled his disapproval. His daughter was late. _Again._ This had to be the third time this week. He was growing hungry and he could tell that his son was restless to start eating.

The door swung open and a very regal Tsarmina dressed in a pink dress walked in. The gold in her little tiara glittered in the torchlight as she took her seat across from Gingevere. Verdauga looked sadly at the empty seat across from him before letting the servant put food on his plate and his children's.

The three ate in silence until Tsarmina said, "Father, when will I become queen?" The wildcat warlord finished chewing his food before answering. "Well, that depends on who I choose to be my first successor. And then you'll have to wait until I die for them to get the throne and then they'll have to die."

"Oh," was all the young wildcat said as she digested the information. There was something about the glitter in her eye that made Verdauga anxious. "Why do you ask?" he dared to ask.

"Oh, nothing special. I was just thinking about what I would do if I were queen."

"Father?" she mused. "If Ashleg had to wear a pink leg, instead of an ash one, would his name be changed to Pinkleg?"

Verdauga nearly choked in mid-swallow to stop himself from laughing. "W-why do you s-say that- he he- dear?"

Tsarmina narrowed her eyes. She knew he was trying not to laugh. "Would it or would it not?" Verdauga just shook his head, not trusting himself to speak.

Tsarmina crossed her arms in frustration. "Males," she said under her breath.

Just then Ashleg ran in. "Lord Verdauga! The forest beasts are attacking the fortress! Any commands, sir?"

The wildcat warlord hid his face behind a napkin so he wouldn't laugh as he pictured the pine martin with a pink leg. "Oh, um, just shoot them with arrows."

Just as soon as Ashleg ran out the room, Verdauga burst out with a hearty laugh.

----------------------

"Ready! Aim! FIRE!"

"Watch out for the arrows!!!" Barkstripe roared to his comrades, just as one aimed for his heart.


	6. Chapter 6

The group of warriors walked back to Brockhall with heavy hearts. The battle had gone sorely. They had been horribly outnumbered and many woodlanders had fallen. It had been one of worst disasters Mossflower had ever seen.

They carried back the creatures that had died on stretchers. Among them was Barkstripe. They had pulled out the arrow shaft that had imbedded itself in his heart and cleaned up the bloodstain on his fur, but the sight was still unbearable. No one wanted to think about what would happen when Bella saw her mate lying on the stretcher with his paws folded across his chest.

Heavy silence had fallen on the wood. Tears rolled down the cheeks of some beasts. No one talked. The only sound made was the padding of paws on the ground as they walked back to Brockhall.

As they approached, young Sunflash ran out of the door. "Daddy! Did you win?" Banrai walked up with tears in her eyes and held him close. "Sunflash," she said quietly, "Your father's dead." Sunflash pulled away and looked at her like she had hit him in the stomach.

"No," he whispered, and then he yelled "NO!" He ran to his mother as she walked out of her dwelling. "Mama! Tell them that Daddy's not dead! Tell them!" Bella looked at the creatures for an explanation. They moved aside so she could see the stretcher.

Tears formed in her eyes as she hugged her son close. Then they rolled down her face as she tried to sound calm to Sunflash. "Sunflash," she choked out, "Daddy is… gone. He won't be coming back." Then she started bawling and held her badger cub close as if he would disappear if she let him go.

----------------------------------------------------

They buried Barkstripe beside the great oak of Brockhall. His grave was lined with flowers from all the people who had followed him. Everyone would miss the big badger who could take care of any situation. He was a farmer, but died a warrior. Fighting for freedom.

"He died a noble death, Amber," Skipper said, putting a comforting arm around the weeping Squirrel Queen. Tackin patted Skipper on the back while saying comforting things in his ear. The tough otter looked around and saw weeping maids and men trying desperately to calm them, though they themselves couldn't stand the thought of losing the beloved husband of Bella. Tackin looked over at the badger mum and saw her down on her knees beside Barkstripe's grave. Sunflash had his head buried in her striped fur as he tried to hide the tears streaming down his face. Banrai the mousewife held her babe in one arm and hugged Bella with the other. Ragian stood close by with a paw on his wife's shoulder. Even their smiling happy little mouse babe seemed to know what had happened and didn't smile. Tackin sighed to himself. Life was going to be rough without Barkstripe to lighten their spirits.

Skipper led Amber home and Tackin followed close behind playing a sad tune on his lute. A song for the dead.

------------------------------------

Ragian and Banrai sat in the Bella's den. The widowed badger had gone to sleep early and Sunflash had locked himself in his room.

Banrai sighed yet again. She had no more tears to cry, but she hadn't washed her face to hide the proof.

Ragian hugged her against his chest and wondered, not for the first time, what would it be like if he had just stayed at Loamhedge Abbey. He wouldn't have to live with the fact that a friend of his had died. But then again, he wouldn't have a charming wife and a lovely son. Speaking of which, Gonff hadn't eaten that much today and seemed a little sick. He stroked his son's head gently. Gonff looked up at his father and let out a smile.

He seemed to know just how to get everyone's spirits happier when he was happy. Ragian suddenly had an idea of how to cheer Bella up a bit. "Banrai," he said gently. She looked up at him. "Why don't you go and show Gonff to Bella. That might take away some of the gloominess." He smiled at her and she smiled back, then got up and walked to the badger's room.

"Might as well go and see Sunflash," he said to himself. Ragian shuffled his weary legs to the toddler's room. There didn't seem to be any noise inside. _Must have fallen asleep. _He thought. But he decided to go in anyways. But to much of his surprise and dismay, Sunflash was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

Sunflash couldn't believe it. His dad was dead. Even though he had seen his father's body buried, he still couldn't get it through his head that he wouldn't be there anymore. But he did know one thing. He had to avenge his dad. That stupid pussycat would be terrified when he found out Sunflash was coming. It made the little badger feel a little better.

He had grabbed some food and put it in a sack before sneaking past Ms. Banrai and her husband to the front door. Now he sat in front of a tree eating a little bit of the scone he had taken.

A stray question slithered its way into his mind. What if he never returned? How would Mama cope with losing his dad and him? Sunflash shook his head of anymore irritating questions. He was going to the Kotir-palace-place and avenging his father.

The little badger cub sighed and picked up his sack again. He had to get going before it got to dark to see and then he'd be lost. But it was getting cold. Sunflash reached into his sack that not only carried food, but a blanket as well. But even with the thick covering over him, he was still very cold.

He was thinking about heading back and asking to see if Skip and his crew or Mister Ragian and Ms. Banrai could come with him when he heard a twig snap. As he tried to see what had made the sound, something hit him in the back of the head and he fell unconscious.

* * *

Blacktooth was an ordinary soldier that had ordinary dreams. He wanted to be a captain, but right now he was a stupid scout, looking for that stupid badger's home. Blacktooth wished he could be back at the castle having fine food and drink. But of all the jobs he hated the most, it was scouting. 

As Blacktooth walked in the darkness he thought he heard a small sigh. One good thing about a quiet forest, not very many things can be the wind. Looking in the direction the sound had came from, just to make sure he wasn't hearing things, he saw a little badger cub. Maybe that stupid badger's cub. Blacktooth rubbed his hands in sheer delight. They'd have to promote him to captain after this.

As he stepped to grab the small badger he was reminded of the bad thing about a quiet forest. Other beasts can hear you too. That's when he stepped on the twig. Blacktooth ducked as the badger cub looked his way. He needed to capture that badger. His paws groped around until he found something that felt like a small rock and threw it at the badger's head. Blacktooth chuckled with glee as the toddler fell down like a rock. Boy oh boy would Lord Verdauga love this.

As the overexcited ferret went to pick up his capture, he noticed a strange yellow stripe where white should have been. Blacktooth just shrugged it off and hauled his heavy bundle to Kotir.

---------------------------------------

Sunflash groaned as a wave of pain crashed through his head. As he tried to sit up, another wave bounced between his ears, so he lay back down. The little badger looked up at the ceiling. It was red sandstone with green slimy stuff everywhere. Sunflash rolled his head and saw that he was on a pile of scratchy hay. Sunlight filtered through an iron bar window. Then it hit Sunflash like lightning. He was in a prison.

His headache was getting a little better when all of the sudden someone yelled. "The kid's awake!" Then Sunflash heard pawsteps going down stairs and coming towards his cell. Two tough looking stoats grabbed both of his arms and dragging him up of his paws.

"Ok, ok I'm getting up!" he grumbled.

The next place Sunflash found himself was in a nice looking room with drapes on the windows. The little badger looked in awe at the all the fancy things. He had never seen such a wonderful place. But then he saw who sat in the middle. A huge wildcat was sitting in the middle of the floor looking at him with strange interest. Beside him stood a pine martin with a wooden leg.

Sunflash could only guess that this was Lord Verdau-whatsit. The little badger growled at him, though it came out a little squeaky. The wildcat just grinned in amusement. "Hello, little one," he said to him. Sunflash noticed it was a forced nice tone. "I am Lord Verdauga Greeneyes, Ruler of Kotir and Mossflower. And you are the son of that badger, aren't you."

Sunflash just glared up at the cat. "Maybe Ah am, maybe Ah ain't. What's it tah you?"

Verdauga just laughed a cold laugh. "You really think you can outsmart me, don't you? Since you want to know, I'll tell you. I'm going to hold you for ransom. Either they surrender or I kill their precious badger cub. Get the picture?"

A hint of fear flashed in the little badger's eyes, and wildcat lord took note of this. _No! Badger lords aren't scared of nothin'! _Sunflash thought. _Be like Grandpa in all the stories Mama told! He would have faced this big pussycat and swatted 'im! _

"You don't scare me! I'm a mighty badger lord! Like my grandpa Boar! I won't give up to you, you big kitty!" the badger dibbun cried.

Verdauga frowned. This cub wasn't going to make things easy. "Daddy, how about you sell him to that Mr. Sixclaw and then say you got him. But when they surrender, no cub," a small voice said beside him. The wildcat warlord looked down to see his daughter with an evil grin on her face. And of course, she was wearing her pink dress.

Verdauga grinned again. "Very good Tsarmina. Why don't you ever think of stuff like that Ashleg!?" The pine martin cowered before him. The ruler of Kotir ignored him and turned back to the badger. "One more chance cub. Tell me where Brockhall is or you will be sold to a very special friend of mine."

"No matter what you do, I'll never tell yah where my home is!"

Verdauga sighed. The stupid badger was still trying to act like a hero. "Fine then. Ashleg!"

"Yes my lord?" Ashleg said timidly.

"Contact Stipil Sixclaw."

"Right away, my liege."

Sunflash gulped. He knew he was probably going to be sold into slavery. He thought about his mama and how sad she would be when he never showed up. At that moment, Sunflash vowed that no matter what happened to him, he would see his mother one last time and do all in his power to keep the location of Brockhall a secret. They would never find his mother.

* * *

Stipil Sixclaw looked Sunflash over with much interest. He was always in need of slaves and this one would make a good one for his son, Swartt. 

As Stipil went to check the badger's mouth, Sunflash snapped at his paw. The ferret balled up his six-clawed paw and punched the cub into silence.

"He'll do," he said finally to Verdauga. The wildcat grinned and handed over a bag of jewels.

"Once again, Stipil, you have resolved my problems with slaves. You may leave."

Stipil bowed low and called for his son. "Swartt! Get over here!"

The young ferret got out of his fight with Tsarmina to his father. "Yeah?"

"I've got a little present for ye." Swartt jumped with joy. Stipil motioned the badger toddler. "Here ye are. Your very own slave."

"Yes! Finally!" Swartt cried.

"You've never had a slave before? Aren't you poor," Tsarmina said with a sneer. She crossed her arms across her chest, daring Swartt to get into another fight with her.

Swartt was about to, when his father touched his eye rather harshly, showing that he was going to get a black eye. "Never wise to get into a fight with a wildcat, Swartt," he said wisely.

"That's right, you momma's boy. Too scared to fight a girl?" the wildcat princess teased again.

The young ferret was about to punch her by this time. "Swartt!"

Swartt sighed and turned to his father. "Time to go," he said.

"Fine," he grumbled. As father and son walked out of the room with the badger, Swartt looked back at Tsarmina and stuck his tongue out.


	8. Chapter 8

Tackin sighed as he tuned his lute. Things were getting pretty bad in the forest. Poor Bella was a mess. Ragian had walked into young Sunflash's room and found him missing. Some of the best trackers had been sent into the forest. They had found his little paw prints then a ferret's.

"Prolly went to avenge 'is pop," the otter mumbled. Tackin played a quick tune on the lute. He growled. Still flat.

Lately, the good-natured otter had had a short temper that could be set off by almost anything, so everyone avoided him. Skipper was especially careful. He used to joke with Tackin about how he played his instrument, and that he was a sea otter not a river otter, but now with his friend's temper going off nearly every minute, he watched what he said when he was around him.

Skipper sat with Amber on an old tree stump watching Tackin the Lute get angry over his lute. "Poor, otter. All this drama has really gotten to him," Amber mumbled.

"No way! Tackin wouldn't get upset so easily!" exclaimed Skipper, rushing to his friend's defense. The two young leaders glared at each other, then sighed. "Sorry mate. I'm just a little edgy, myself."

"I'm sorry too, Skip. I didn't mean it as a bad thing. All this stuff is getting to everyone. I just meant that I've never seen him this way before."

Skipper looked back at his friend growling at the lute. "Me neither."

**----------------------------------------**

Tackin's temper was rising when Banrai walked up holding her babe. Growling once more, the sea otter threw his lute on the ground, something no beast had ever seen him do before, and sat down. Banrai looked hesitantly at the otter then Gonff, then set her son on Tackin's knee. "I thought you might need some cheering up," she whispered before she walked off, trusting the angry otter with her only child.

Skipper and Amber had witnessed the whole thing and were terrified when Tackin glared angrily at Banrai's back. "We gotta stop 'im 'fore he does somethin' to that babe!" Skip exclaimed.

Tackin was about to get up and leave the mouse on the forest floor, but then he looked down. The little mouse looked up at him with wide eyes, and then smiled a big smile. It was then Tackin realized that Gonff only had one tooth, making him look ridiculous. The big sea otter roared with laughter, which was joined by the baby mouse's little giggles.

A minute later, he looked up and saw Skipper and Amber standing over him with looks on their faces as if they'd just seen him grow two heads. Tackin laughed at that, falling over on his side with little Gonff sitting on his stomach laughing his little heart out.

"But… you were…" Skipper started, still surprised that Tackin had lost his attitude so quickly.

"Why…?" Amber asked.

Tackin sat up and wiped his eyes. "'Cause of this little mate right 'ere." He said, holding Gonff up. The mousebabe grinned his one tooth grin again.

"Aga!" Gonff cried boldly, making everyone laugh.

"That's just what Bella needs!" Amber exclaimed. "Come on Gonff," she said, picking him up.

Skip looked at Tackin who looked back and shrugged.

**---------------------------------**

Bella was in her room weeping her eyes out. And when she was dry of tears she just shook with grief. A few of the women had made it their duty to make sure Bella had food and water and stuff. Tilla, the wife of Foremole, was in charge. Goody Stickle cooked for everyone, along with a few helpers, and Banrai comforted Bella as much as she could when she could. But at the moment, Tilla was taking her place as Banrai went to look for herbs.

There was a knock at the door. "Hurr ee naow. Who bes a'knockin at ta door?" The sensible molewife opened the door to find Amber with baby Gonff in her arms. "Hurr hurr, youm knowz Miz Bell' doan't wanna see anyworn."

"Sorry Miss Tilla, but I think this might cheer her up. Please?" the Squirrel queen gave such a pitiful look that Tilla's stern features softened.

"Youm waiten 'ere naow, hurr hurr." Amber could here the mole inside the room talking to Bella. "Miz Bell', ther bes Miz Amber with Gonff at tha door. Should oi throw 'er outen?"

There was a sniff and a sigh. "No. Let them in Tilla. If they took there time coming here, they can stay a few minutes."

Tilla walked back to the doorway and winked at Amber. The lovely squirrel queen walked in to find Bella on a comfy sofa with a handkerchief in her paw. "Bella? I brought someone for you." Setting Gonff on Bella's knee, Amber left the room.

Bella sighed and looked down at the happy mousebabe. "I remember when you were born. Ragian was pacing in the den so long, I thought he'd fall through the ground and into a mole tunnel." The widowed badger chuckled.

"Dada!" Gonff cried.

Bella chuckled again. "That's right. Dada was worried about your mother. But he should have known Banrai would pull through and bring a strong child into the world."

"Mama!" Gonff cried again. Bella nodded, then looked fondly at the mouse. "My, my, you have your mother's features and most likely grow up with your father's playful nature. With parent's as clear thinking as yours, you'll grow up a clever little boy."

**------------------------------------**

_A few months later_

"Majesty! The castle's under attack again!"

Verdauga grinned. This was what he was waiting for. This time, he'd bring the iron fist _down. _ "Dress me in my armor," he growled.

A few servants quickly suited him in a set of polished armor and handed him a sword and shield. Verdauga laughed. This was his moment. Those puny woodlanders would never cross him again.

The plan was to circle around on both sides of the fighting beasts while the soldiers on the battlement distracted them, and so far, it was working. Verdauga motioned with his glove, and it was sent up the line of beasts to the captain on the battlements who yelled, " Out with the foot squadron!" A bunch of vermin ran out of the castle gate and into the mass of woodlanders. Then came the real fight.

Woodlanders and vermin alike fell to the other's weapons. The soldiers of the wildcat's hoard fought with training, but the woodlanders fought with the ferociousness of revenge for the ones they had lost.

Verdauga motioned twice this time and the groups circled around the back. He didn't care about anything but winning this stinking war.

Ragian saw what Verdauga's plan was before the enemy could get around their back. He knew they didn't have a chance, but he couldn't let them follow through with it without attempting to stop it. An arrow flew past him and took down a squirrel, reminding Ragian of the archers on the battlements. The mouse fought his way to Banrai, who was fighting fiercely. "Vermin- around back- get help. Tell Bella," he gasped.

"I'm not leaving you!" she gasped back. He glared at her and she glared back at him as sling stones and arrows flew around them. Banrai quickly pointed to where Amber and Skipper had been in the trees, sending javelins, sling stones and arrows back at the vermin. They were now running towards Brocktree, clearly seeing what the vermin planned to do.

Amber stopped to looked back on the battlefield. Woodlanders were dying by the minute.

But before she turned back around to race towards Brockhall, she could see that the battle was over. Verdauga and his soldiers had herded the woodland fighters into the castle. There was nothing they could do. No one was any good at picking locks, even if they could get into the dungeon, the castle would be guarded severely. Verdauga truly was the scourge of Mossflower.

**--------------------------------------**

Amber had gone back to tell the sad news to the others, but Skipper had stayed behind. Tackin the Lute wasn't with his crew. And Banrai and Ragian weren't anywhere in sight. Skipper sighed and was ready to turn back when he saw the gate open. A captain and a few soldiers were leading a long line of woodlanders South East.

Among all the creatures he saw, three stuck out the most to him. There was Ragian and Banrai, holding paws, despite their chains and there in front of them was his best friend, Tackin.

"No! No! No!" he whispered. "NO!" They were going to become slaves.

**-----------------------------------**

Banrai cried, in spite of the many threats of beatings. Ragian tried his best when the lash came down to stop it from hitting his wife. He knew why she was heart broken. Their one and only son was now alone without parents.

Ragian felt his eyes threaten to drop tears. There was a paw on his shoulder. It belonged to Tackin. "Don't worry, mate. At least ye have each other. Me too. I'll look out fer ye. Don't worry."

"I can't help but worry," the mouse said to his friend.

**----------------------------------**

All the woodlanders had gathered in Bella's home to hear the sad news. Every now and again, some one would look at Gonff. Who was going to take care of him?

"Naow, naow! Carm daown ev'rybeast. Wut abaowt tha Stickles fer taken care o' Gonff." Ben and Goody Stickle were amazed that Foremole had chosen them. "Uz molerz carn't take care of 'im. Miz Bella iz in charge naow. Skipper 'n' Amber are too young. They'm the h'only sensible choice." Everyone nodded in agreement with the wise mole.

"What about if he asks about his parents when he's older?" someone asked.

Bella had an answer for that. "We'll tell him that they put in the dungeon and never seen again along with everyone else. We don't want him running out for revenge for them like… my son did."

As everyone walked to their homes, Ben commented to his wife, "This is a sad time for Mossflower."


	9. Chapter 9

_7 Seasons Later:_

A young mouse tramped around the old oak that was Brockhall. In one hand, he held a magnificent sword and in the other, a jewel encrusted shield. He swung with his sword, stabbing his enemies and hid behind the shield of jewels as they attacked back. "Ha ha! You can't get me that easily you stupid stoat! Take that!" As the stoat went to attack again, the mouse stabbed him clean through. Suddenly, a ferret came behind him and tried to cut his throat, but the young creature hit him with the hilt of the sword. The ferret slumped on the ground. "Mercy!" he cried, "Mercy!" The mouse only shook his head and said, "Why should I show mercy to a blood thirsty killer? But then again, you are defenseless and unarmed and killing you would make me just like you. So instead, I will…"

"Go-onff!" yelled a voice, cutting into the mouse's sentence.

Suddenly, the sword turned into a stick, the shield turned into a piece of bark, and the helpless ferret turned into a bush. Gonff sighed and dropped his "weapons". "I'll come back for you later," he muttered to the bush. When his name was called again Gonff yelled back, "I'm coming!"

Goody Stickle stood in the doorway of Brockhall. "Gonff, how many times have I told you not to sneak off during dinner? _Especially_ at a guest's house."

Gonff just shrugged and showed his crooked grin, which meant more than he thought to everyone else. Goody fussed over the young mouse a bit more, dusting him off, fixing his fur, etcetera, then took his paw and started to drag him back inside, but he suddenly stopped. Some writing at the trunk of the old oak had caught his ever-aware eye. Letting go of the good hogwife's paw, he traced the letters in the oak.

"Ra-gi-an and Ban- ia." He looked at it with a puzzled expression. "Who are they?"

"It's Ban-RI, dear, Ragian and Banrai. And you don't need to know who they are," the hedgehog said, pulling Gonff more hastily into Brockhall.

Goody sat the young mouse next to her husband, Ben Stickle. Ben laughed as he saw his adoptive son being pulled back in. "So, what were you fighting today? Ferrets? Stoats? How's about old Verdauga himself?" The hedgehog immediately recognized his mistake of mentioning the warlord and tried to cover it. "Uh… I mean… a very… dead… frog!"

But Gonff had already heard him. "Who's Verdauga?"

The room was silent, and Gonff knew they didn't want to tell him something.

"He's the ruler of the castle Kotir," Bella said quietly.

"Oh," the little mouse said. Then another question came to his head. The one Goody hadn't answered. "Bella, who's Ragian and Banrai?"

The badger looked questionably at Goody. "They were… prisoners… of Verdauga."

Ben shook his head. He knew it was time to tell Gonff. "They were your parents, son."

Bella sighed and went to the fireplace where she took down a wooden box. Sitting back down at the table, the badger opened it. Inside it was a little wooden flute and a small dagger. "They left these for you," she said. Sadness laced her voice. Gonff took them and looked up at the grownups. Goody was crying, Bella was shaking her head, and Ben was sighing.

"I'm- uh- gonna go outside," Gonff said quickly and ran out.

"Are we doing the right thing keeping the truth from him?" Ben asked when the mouse was out of earshot.

"I don't know, " Bella said. She remembered what had happened to her son. "But we don't want him running off."

----------

Gonff sat up in the crook of his favorite tree. He often went there to think, and now he had _a lot _to think about.

_I wonder what happened to them. Were they in the old war? Why did they leave me? What were they like? _After all these questions raced through his head, another question came to mind. _Did they love me?_

Gonff tried out his new flute, playing what sounded like a few notes, then sang a song he had never heard of.

"_With the wind blowing softly,_

_And the clouds moving slow,_

_The bees will move swiftly,_

_And it's good to know._

_Someone will hold you,_

_Someone will love you,_

_And know just what they need to do_."

"That's a pretty good song there, mate. Where's it from?"

Gonff didn't need to look down to know that the voice belonged to Skipper. "I don't know Skip. I just… sang it…"

Skipper nodded, pretending he understood. The burly otter nearly jumped out of his skin as the little mouse jumped from the tree. "Look what Mum and Dad gave me," he said, showing the dagger and the flute.

Skip's eyes got wide as he saw what Gonff had in his paws. "You do know who they're from, right?"

"Yes," young Gonff said, looking down. "My parents."


	10. Chapter 10

_6 Seasons Later:_

Inside the looming castle of Kotir, it was quiet. Except for the royal dining room. Princess Tsarmina was having a fit. At the age of eighteen, she had dropped most of her childish habits. Except for two things. One, she still loved pink and jewels. Two, she still had fits. And right now…

"I wanted QUAIL EGGS! Do you hear me! QUAIL EGGS! But instead you give me GOOSE EGGS!" An unfortunate server quickly ran out to get what the wildcat wanted.

"Now dear," said Lord Verdauga using as much patience he could muster, "calm down and act like a lady. Elegance is royalty."

"Yeah. Not yelling at someone for bringing you something you ordered," Gingivere muttered under his breath. Tsarmina glared at him and would have slapped him if he were close enough.

"Gingivere, don't mutter like that. Tsarmina, _CALM DOWN_." Fights like these tired Verdauga.

Outside of the dining room, someone was listening. "Is dah poor putty cat upset?" he mused to himself. He laughed and sang quietly to himself.

"_The cats are mad,_

_And I am glad._

_The servants are scared,_

_And I am prepared._

_They're looking for food,_

_And it's sure to set off the pussycat's mood._

_But I've got it here,_

_I got it from there,_

_And Gonff is getting out of here_."

Gonff, now almost an expert at thievery, chuckled to himself and stuck around the corner, but only to bump into someone. "Uh oh," he said, and tried to run, but the beast picked him up by the collar. Gonff put of his fists and tried to swing at his captor.

"Nice song you were just singing," the beast said. "Now what was that about having some food?"

"I, uh, I'm the assistant cook. Yeah, kinda weird seeing a mouse, I know, but I'm actually a good cook," the mousethief lied.

Gonff looked up and saw that a wildcat, that was maybe just a little older than him, was holding him. He didn't look convinced. At all. "So, your name is Gonff is it?"

"W-what? Noooo," Gonff said, waving a paw, "That's just my play name. You know, to keep people off my back, my real name is…Ragian." The mousethief gave the wildcat a grin.

"You're a clever little mouse, but I am smarter than you think. For one thing, if Gonff was just another name, you would have told me it was, and not even mentioned your 'real' name. Also, the cook's assistant is a weasel. And even if it weren't, the cook wouldn't pick up a woodlander. He hates them. So really, your caught in a mess of lies. By the way, my name's Gingivere. Now what's your _real _name? And why are you stealing from Kortir?"

Gonff gasped. "Gingivere? As in Gingivere Greeneyes?" The wildcat nodded. "Oh, boy! I'm in trouble!" The little mouse tried to squirm out of Gingivere's grasp, but the wildcat was bigger and stronger than him.

"Relax! I'm not going to turn you in." Gonff stopped struggling and looked up at Gingivere.

"Ok, fine. I'm Gonff, and I'm stealing from here because it's what I do. It's how I take out my revenge."

Gingivere looked puzzled. "Revenge? For what?"

The mousethief sighed. "Because when I was a mousebabe, my parents were thrown in the dungeons and left to rot. So now I, the Prince of Mousethieves," Gonff gave a wink at this, "Am taking out my revenge. And I'm actually pretty good at it."

"Ah. I understand. Sorry for the things my dad did."

"Ah, it ain't yer fault. Now, if you please, could you let me go?"

Gingivere chuckled and let the mouse down. "I'll call off the guards and you get on out."

"Thanks, mate!" Gonff called as he went for the window.

Suddenly, he heard, "Thief! Thief! Guards! There's a thief in here! He's trying to escape!"

"That low down liar," the mousethief muttered. He quickly hid in the shadows as a group of soldiers ran past him.

"Which way did he go?" said the weasel in charge. Gingivere pointed the opposite direction from Gonff and said, "That way." The wildcat winked at the mouse thief. And with that, Gonff ran out of Kotir once and for all. For awhile anyways.

* * *

Gonff finished reading the last of the bit of the story. "So… they didn't really die in the dungeons. Did they?" 

Bella shook her great striped head. "No. I'm sorry we kept the truth from you."

Gonff the Mousethief had been finally told the story of his parents. Columbine patted his arm and said, "I'm sorry Gonff." Her husband just hugged her.

"Frum wut moi ole granda said, they'm wur good beasts," said, Dinny, trying to give a word of comfort.

"Can you believe that Gingivere forsaw my battle with Tsarmina?" Martin said as he saw his friend's crestfallen face and tried to comfort him. "Hey, mate, cheer up. We can track them down. It may have been seasons ago, but maybe we can see what happened to them."

Gonff looked at his best friend straight in the eye and said, "I'm willing."

Skipper, who had been listening in the door way, suddenly said, "I'm going too, mates. I want to see what happened to Tackin."

"And I'm going too." Columbine stared at Gonff, daring him to argue with her.

"You know we're coming," Martin and Dinny said in union.

Gonff looked at his friends. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to meet the parents he had longed to meet.


	11. Author's Note PLEASE READ!

**_Author's Note_**

All right. There are a few things I would like to say. First off, I have a new, edited version of _Story of the Prince_, now called _Scourge of Mossflower_. It is so much better and I even added a little to the beguining. So go ahead and read it if you want.

My second thing. I have the basic plot for the sequal, called _A Flute and a Dagger, _but I have a bit of writer's block for the start of it. How do they get where their going? How do they find out where to go? And what kind of encounters do they meet on the way? So if you have any ideas, tell me and I will think them over. Basically tell me what you want to read. It takes place inbetween _Mossflower_ and _Legend of Luke. _Gonff is heading east with Columbine, Martin, Dinny, and Skipper to find his parents and Tackin the sea otter.


End file.
